Land Release in Sri Lanka's North: Balancing Property Rights with National Security Imperatives

The process of releasing military-held land in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka back to its legitimate civilian owners is a necessary and significant step towards post-conflict reconciliation and normalisation. It is an acknowledgement of the fundamental right to property and a move toward restoring the lives of those displaced by a brutal, three-decade-long war.

- By Major General Dr Boniface Perera

However, this critical process cannot, and must not, be pursued in isolation. It must be meticulously balanced against the paramount and nonnegotiable requirement of national security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The nation’s history, marked by the violent pursuit of a separate state by extremist elements, mandates an approach that is both compassionate toward the affected citizens and rigorously cautious about potential future threats. This article explores the delicate equilibrium required to satisfy the legitimate demands of the civilian population while simultaneously safeguarding the strategic interests of the state.